Meet Florida's newest strawberry variety, the 'Brilliance'

DOVER, Fla. (FOX 13) - Members of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association gathered for their Strawberry Field Day to discuss the latest developments in their industry. This year, the hot topic was the Florida Brilliance.

The Brilliance is the newest variety of strawberry developed by the University of Florida.

“It seems to have larger fruit, better color, and overall better taste than some of the other varieties we have had,” said Adam Young of Strawberry Ranch in Dover. “It has exceeded expectations."

Along with its appeal to consumers, the fruit may give growers a financial boost. The berries are ready to pick earlier in the season, when prices are usually highest.

“They have a lot of competition from Mexican fruit and Californian fruit,” said Vance Whitaker, the UF scientist who developed the Brilliance by crossing two other strains. “They need every tool at their disposal to be profitable as an industry.”

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If you want to give them your own taste test, the berries will be at the Florida Strawberry Festival, which runs from Thursday, Feb. 28 to Sunday, March 10.